Kael was ecstatic—he had actually succeeded in fusing with the fire element. A flash of insight surged within him.
What was the essence of the fire element?
It was wildness, release, the incineration of all things.
The fire element danced joyfully, as though merging with both Kael's body and spirit. At last, Kael had grasped the true essence of the fire element, allowing it to fuse with him.
He even felt as though he was fire, and fire was him!
Time passed minute by minute, yet Kael remained immersed in his comprehension of the fire element, experiencing the boundless mysteries of this profound state. Such an opportunity was exceedingly rare—elemental fusion was incredibly difficult. Even with the fire element, which he was most familiar with, the process had been arduous, let alone other magical elements.
Moreover, even in fusing with the fire element, Kael's success this time had involved a considerable degree of luck.
Previously, he had only barely touched the threshold. At the critical moment, his progress had stalled—until the World Tree intervened, helping him take that crucial step forward.
"The World Tree left behind by the Water Dragon truly is a treasure." Kael smiled faintly. The World Tree grew ever more enigmatic, its endless stream of life force flowing into his body and aiding him at the pivotal moment, enabling the fusion with the fire element.
"The moment the World Tree came into contact with the fire element, it was as if the fire element had been ignited, causing it to surge violently. That was what allowed me to fuse with it. Could this be the principle of 'Wood Gives Rise to Fire'?" Kael wondered inwardly, intrigued by the possibility.
"Still, I've only achieved an initial fusion with the fire element. There's still a long way to go before complete mastery." He reflected. For now, his fusion was merely preliminary, much like Orc's level of fusion with the water element.
After fusing with the fire element, Kael could sense its boundless presence in the world around him. It felt as though with just a wave of his hand, he could unleash a tenth-level spell!
The fire element, now vibrant and abundant, was incomparable to the pitiful traces he had perceived before. Now, it was as if the element had exploded into overwhelming richness, saturating the very air.
"Indeed, the path of magic is vast and endless." Kael gained a new understanding. "Every step forward is a monumental breakthrough. Fortunately, Orc had only achieved an initial fusion with the water element—otherwise, that battle could have taken an unpredictable turn."
He felt both awe and relief.
Had Orc fully fused with the water element, the battle to annihilate Reynolds might have ended very differently for Kael.
With the fire element now fused, Kael's strength had grown even further. However, since his fusion was still in its early stages, the increase in power wasn't yet fully apparent. Even so, Kael had gained profound insights from the experience.
With the fusion of the fire element, Kael's mana finally began to rise steadily, surging within him until he soon encountered a barrier.
The barrier of the tenth-level peak!
With a resounding boom, the barrier shattered. Kael's mana soared, propelling him to yet another breakthrough.
Tenth-level peak!
The speed of his advancement was terrifying. Yet Kael knew that this breakthrough was largely due to chance—had it not been for the World Tree's assistance, reaching the tenth-level peak would have taken him at least several more months.
Kael clenched his fist. The initial fusion of the fire element meant he had finally set foot on the path of the Archmage!
If he could fuse all six elements, he would reach the fourteenth-level peak—just one step away from becoming an Archmage.
To become an Archmage—this was, of course, Kael's dream. Yet in the past three thousand years, aside from Orlando and a handful of other prodigious mages, almost no one had ever broken through to the realm of the Archmage.
Those who attained the Archmage realm were nothing short of legendary existences.
Even the Grand Speaker of the Sacred Council, it was said, had not truly reached the Archmage realm—only coming within half a step of it.
Legends spoke of Archmages being capable of annihilating entire nations with a mere gesture, even destroying small dimensional planes, while possessing near-immortal lifespans and an omniscient understanding of all magic.
In fact, during the Cataclysm of the Undead three thousand years ago, had it not been for the presence of an Archmage-level entity among the undead legions—one that grievously wounded Orlando—the great Archmage would never have fallen.
No—correction. Archmage Orlando had merely vanished without a trace. Some mages even believed that he never truly died…
Kael shook his head, dispelling the distracting thoughts, and a faint smile tugged at his lips.
Now that he had begun elemental fusion, it meant he had officially embarked on the path of the Archmage—finally possessing the potential to pursue that legendary realm.
Stepping out of the Magic Tower, Kael felt the surging fire element swirling around him, as though it had become an inseparable part of his being.
The moment he emerged, a soft exclamation of surprise rose from the floor below.
BANG!
The door to the lower level of the Magic Tower was flung open violently, and Ethanburst out, eyes wide with shock.
The instant Kael appeared, Ethan had sensed an elusive yet extraordinarily refined fire element—one that, though not overwhelmingly powerful, surpassed even his own when he had first achieved fusion. The realization sent him rushing out to investigate.
"You—!"
Ethan's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull as he stared at Kael, his expression a mix of disbelief and awe.
"Master," Kael said, momentarily stunned by Ethan's swift reaction. Clearly, his teacher had already discerned his breakthrough.
Ethan seized Kael by the shoulders, scrutinizing him intently before finally rasping out, "This is just… monstrous."
Kael opened his mouth to speak but found himself at a loss for words. Sheepishly, he closed it again.
"Don't disturb me! I'm going into seclusion—damn it, this is too humiliating! Get out of my sight, you little brat!" Ethan roared in mock indignation, slamming the door shut with exaggerated fury.
Kael wiped his brow. His breakthrough had indeed been largely fortuitous—he hadn't expected to fuse with the fire element so smoothly.
But Ethan was genuinely rattled by Kael's terrifying rate of progress. He had only just taught Kael the principles of elemental fusion, assuming it would take the boy months to grasp such profound magic theory. Yet here he was, already…
"Bloody hell!" Ethan cursed under his breath behind the closed door. "I need to train harder. If this kid surpasses me, and a master ends up weaker than his disciple… that'd be…"
The mere thought sent a shiver down his spine, filling him with an acute sense of crisis.
Yet beneath the grumbling, Ethan couldn't help but feel a swell of pride. Having devoted his life to magic without children of his own, he regarded Kael and Grace as his own. Seeing Kael achieve so much in such a short time stirred a deep, quiet satisfaction in his heart.
"Heh heh... Orlando, I may never surpass you in this lifetime—but my disciple will!"
A spine-chilling laugh echoed from the sealed chamber deep within the Magic Tower.
Unaware of this, Kael descended the tower's steps.
Elsewhere in the tower, Ella was also immersed in training. Though her progress paled in comparison to Kael's monstrous speed, her unwavering perseverance had yielded slight improvements since obtaining the Serene Waters. Kael noted this silently, acknowledging her effort.
Just as he reached the base of the tower, he encountered Grace.
Today, she wore a fitted lavender mage robe that accentuated her slender, graceful figure. At seventeen, she stood with an effortless elegance, already hinting at the breathtaking beauty she would become—a future rival to Amelia's legendary allure, Kael mused privately.
"Senior Brother!" Grace called out, her keen eyes narrowing slightly. "I knew you'd be here."
There was something... different about Kael's aura, a subtle shift only a gifted mage like her could detect. Yet elemental fusion remained an unreachable theory for her, leaving her puzzled but unable to pinpoint the reason.
"Looking for me?" Kael grinned, tapping her nose playfully.
Grace wrinkled her nose and swatted his hand away with a mock huff. "Obviously. Someone wants to discuss a major deal with you."